Annapolis notes

April 11, 2005|by TAMELA BAKER

Sweet success

ANNAPOLIS - While testifying before a Senate Committee about Medbank of Maryland, a program that provides prescription drugs for low-income residents, Washington County Medbank Director Audrey Miller said the program has won community support - and later, she told The Herald-Mail that Medbank was the subject of a project by a group of business law students from Hagerstown Community College.

Their assignment was to create a business, she said. One of the students was the son of Sidney Gale, director of physician practices at Antietam Health Services. He told his father that his group wanted to do a project for a nonprofit and asked for suggestions. Gale told him about Medbank, so the students decided to start a business to sell fudge, and in a two-day run, sold 175 pounds of sweets to support Medbank.

After selling 90 pounds of fudge at Washington County Hospital on the first day, they ran out. One student drove to Pittsburgh that night to get more fudge for the next day's sale at Robinwood Medical Center.

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After expenses, the students earned $475 for Medbank. Each of the five students donated $5 more to make an even $500.

"Anybody can donate" to Medbank, Miller said. "We're in desperate need to keep the program going."

Miller said all money donated would stay in Washington County. To make a donation, call 301-393-3441.

Is anybody out there?

ANNAPOLIS - When you get more than 50 people in a big room, there's bound to be chatter - even when there's important stuff going on.

Sen. Alex Mooney, R-Washington/Frederick, was speaking during a floor debate in the Senate Chamber last week when the chatter grew to a dull roar.

Frustrated, Mooney glanced over at the group of gray-clad high school seniors seated along the wall and said, "I'm glad the pages are here, so at least somebody's listening to me."

It's my party, or maybe not

ANNAPOLIS - Members of the respective political parties frequently gather during the legislative session to plan strategy or, in the case of Republicans, vent frustration.

Last Thursday, House Majority Leader Kumar Barve announced that the Democratic Caucus would be meeting at 10:30 a.m. Friday. He had barely sat down when House Minority Leader George Edwards stood to make his own announcement.

"The Republican Caucus will meet tomorrow at 9," he said, "which will give you time if you want to sit in on the Democratic Caucus at 10:30. I'm sure they won't mind."

It's just a mirage

ANNAPOLIS - In a last-ditch effort to resurrect legislation to legalize slot machines in Maryland, Gov. Robert Ehrlich took a walk downstairs at the State House to have a chat with House Speaker Michael E. Busch, a slots foe.

To get to the Speaker, Ehrlich had to make his way through a gauntlet of journalists lining the corridor to Busch's office. Shielding his face with his left hand, Ehrlich strode forward, remarking to an aide that "if you can't see 'em, they're not there."

Patience is a virtue

ANNAPOLIS - It was bound to happen sometime.

After seven years and a lot of ribbing, Del. Joseph Bartlett, R-Frederick, has finally gotten a piece of legislation approved by the General Assembly.

It requires HMOs to comply with insurance fraud reporting laws. A second Bartlett bill, which authorizes juvenile courts to notify schools about children in need of assistance, appeared last week to be on its way to passage as well.